Auburn to Lose Third OL to NCAA Transfer Portal

The Auburn Tigers have had 13 players reported to leave the program since Alex Golesh's hiring.

The Auburn Tigers have had plenty of exits since Alex Golesh's hiring. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have lost a third offensive lineman to the Transfer Portal, this time former JUCO transfer Seth Wilfred. The former Snow College lineman joined the Tigers last offseason.

Wilfred joins former four-star DeAndre Carter and former three-star Favour Edwin in the portal, each of whom will have at least three years of eligibility remaining. The portal has been vicious in the early stages for Auburn, with four receivers joining the three offensive lineman who have left The Plains.

NEW: Auburn OL Seth Wilfred plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/g71oU0dG5U pic.twitter.com/1PnwHq1lg9

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 15, 2025

When he enrolled at Auburn in 2024, Wilfred was rated as the No. 39 JUCO prospect in the nation via the 247Sports composite, the No. 5 JUCO offensive lineman, and the No. 1 JUCO player from Nevada. However, the rating did not equate to playing time. He saw very limited action in 2024, and did not see game action in 2025.

However, it hasn’t been all bad news on the recruiting front in the trenches today, as the Tigers secured the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Bear McWhorter, who has previously signed with Michigan. McWhorter is the highest-rated commit at the position in Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class,, and fifth player rated as a three-star or higher on the offensive line.

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The Auburn offensive line was a mess for most of the 2025 season, allowing 3.5 sacks per game. The mark was fourth-worst in the FBS, ahead of only South Carolina, Ball State, and Troy. The issue wasn’t helped by the playing style of quarterbacks Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels, but the offensive line still struggled consistently.

The Oklahoma and Texas A&M games were the worst for Auburn this season. Oklahoma sacked Jackson Arnold nine times, and the Aggies got home five times in College Station. The unit also consistently struggled with penalties and communication, leading to frequent procedural miscues. 

Auburn invested large amounts of resources in Virginia Tech’s Xavier Chaplin and USC’s Mason Murphy in the 2025 Transfer Portal class, and both players struggled to adapt to SEC play this season. Chaplin battled a hearing issue for the majority of the season that hampered his ability to handle loud environments.

Heading into next season, a total refresh on the line around freshman All-SEC selection Kail Ellis wouldn’t be the worst idea. Alex Golesh’s offensive system should put less pressure on the line overall, but the Tigers need to make smarter investments in the group than they did last season.